1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to automatic transmission control and more particularly to a gear selector mechanism for an automatic transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a prior art gear selector mechanism is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Provisional Publication No. 57-50730.
In the prior art gear selector mechanism, a gear shift lever is installed directly on a pivot which is in turn supported on a vehicle body by way of a base plate. Due to this, the path of movement of the knob, the inclination of the shift lever and the place at which the shift knob passes through the console box are determined depending upon the position of the pivot shaft relative to the vehicle body. The position of the pivot is determined depending upon the vehicle underbody structure, the press formability (i.e., formability by press working) of the constituent parts of the gear selector mechanism and the underbody, etc. Further, the place through which the gear shift lever passes through the console box is determined depending upon the structure, size, etc. of the console box.
For the above reason, there has been a difficulty in attaining the layout which is desirable for both the gear selector mechanism and the console box.